Overview
- Television video showed Garrick Higgo still on the practice putting green when his 7:18 a.m. tee time elapsed on Thursday, and PGA Championship officials applied a two-stroke penalty under the event’s starting-area rule.
- The penalty converted Higgo’s opening-round 67 to an official 69 and, after a second-round 76, contributed to him missing the cut by one shot.
- Caddie Austin Gaugert posted an Instagram Story accepting responsibility for the lateness and was dismissed by Higgo in the days after the tournament.
- Higgo rehired former bagman Nick Cavendish-Pell and will have him on the bag for the upcoming CJ Cup Byron Nelson.
- The incident underscores how narrow PGA starting-area definitions and live broadcast evidence can enforce timing rules, carry immediate financial impact for players who miss weekend pay, and rapidly alter caddie careers.